Coroner criticises system failures after man with history of family violence takes own life in partner’s shed

A Colac man with a history of family violence was released from prison to a home near his victim, and then took his own life in her shed.

A coroner has criticised system failures after man with history of family violence took his own life in his partner’s shed.

A Colac man with a history of committing family violence was placed in a home across the road from his victim and took his own life on her property.

The man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, had been serving time in jail for consistent breaches of family violence intervention orders (FVIOs).

A coroner identified a number of systemic failures while investigating his death, and has recommended protocols be reviewed.

The coroner’s court heard he physically assaulted and threatened to kill his partner during their relationship, and was also controlling.

In August 2020, the man was charged with driving offences and arrested after attempting to assault a police member.

He was remanded into custody at Ravenhall Correctional Centre and remained in prison until November 17, 2020.

Prior to his release the man was allocated a Geelong case manager to supervise his community corrections order (CCO) and indicated he had intended to live with friends at a home in Colac.

But Community Correction Services did not acknowledge that the address he would be staying at was directly across the street from his partner, who had an FVIO out against him, and their baby.

A coroner has criticised system failures after man with history of family violence takes his own life in partner’s shed.

On November 21, just days after his release from jail, the man attended her address and began yelling and banging at the back door when she would not let him in.

The woman contacted police, who arrived two minutes later but were unable to find him.

On November 23, the woman found the man deceased in the shed in her backyard.

The state of his body suggested he had been dead for some time.

The court heard the man had a history of substance dependency and at the time of his death had alcohol and cannabis in his system.

Coroner Audrey Jamieson said it would have been reasonable and appropriate for police members to search any dwelling on the premises, including the storage shed.

“On the balance of the available evidence, I am, however, unable to find that this oversight would have resulted in a different outcome in this case,” Ms Jamieson said.

She also described the man being placed across the road from his partner as a “missed opportunity to optimise his partner’s and child’s safety”.

“It would appear from the available evidence that there was a lack of optimal collaborative family violence risk assessment and management by child protection and Corrections Victoria,” she said.

“Such risk assessment and management may have had a preventive impact by reducing the likelihood of the man impulsively attending his partner’s address in a dysregulated and/or substance affected state.”

Ms Jamieson recommended the Department of Justice and Community Safety and the Department of Families, Fairness and Housing review and update existing protocols between justice services and child protection.

“The departments should consider the circumstances of the man’s death, including the lack of family violence risk assessment and management surrounding his release to an address across the road from his partner when updating these protocols,” she said.

For support, call Lifeline on 13 11 14

Originally published as Coroner criticises system failures after man with history of family violence takes own life in partner’s shed